This invention relates to systems and methods for delivering media content in electronic form. More specifically, this invention relates to delivering media content in a format that allows the content to be accessed in convenient ways. All patents, patent applications and other documents cited in the present application are hereby incorporated by reference for all purposes.
The world of today involves distribution of media content for many different purposes. Typically, media content is sent in the form of a media file containing digital information according to a particular format. Examples of such media files include sound files such as those used for voice communication, digital photographs, movies, movie clips, digital artwork and text files. Media files are not limited to files related to the mass media, but may be generated by individuals or private organizations for other individuals or private organizations without being public.
Various channels are used for delivering such media files from one location to another. The internet is used to deliver various kinds of digital content. In some cases, digital content on the internet is publicly available, in other cases access is limited to particular individuals or entities. Other networks, such as intranets or other private networks are also used to deliver media files. Wireless telephone networks are increasingly used for delivery of media files to provide digital content to users regardless of their location. Broadcast media may also distribute media files to users. Media files may be embodied in physical media and physically transported from one location to another. Thus, Digital Video Disks (DVDs), Compact Disks (CDs) and flash memory cards may be used for delivery of media files.
When a media file is received by a recipient, an application is generally used to access the content of the media file. An application used to render the content of a media file may also be considered a media player application. For example, where an audio file is received, an audio player application is used to play the audio file. An application used to view a digital photograph may be considered a media player application. A media player application generally comprises executable code that provides output to a user interface such as a video display or an audio system. Audio players and other media player applications are found on a range of different hardware platforms including Personal Computers (PCs), cell phones, Personal Digital Assistants (PDAs) and MP3 players.
Generally, media player applications are dedicated to playing a particular type of media file, or a limited range of media file types. In some cases, a Coder/Decoder, or “codec” is used to decode a particular media file so that it can be played by a media player application. Thus, a media player application may use different codecs as decoder modules to play files having different media file types.
FIG. 1 shows a prior art example of a media file 101 that is sent from a sender 103 (such a server attached to a network) to a receiver 105 where it is played by a media player application 107 in receiver 105. Media file 101 is sent over a network 109, such as a LAN or the internet and is received by receiver 105. Media player application 107 to be used to play media file 101 may be identified by receiver 105 from the media file type of media file 101. File type may be indicated by a filename extension, or otherwise. Thus, receiver 105 may recognize that a media file is a photograph according to a jpeg format because it has a .jpg extension. A particular codec may be needed for a media player application to play a particular media file. For example, different codecs may be used by a media player application to display photographs according to bitmap, gif or jpeg formats. If the media file is a jpeg file, a jpeg compatible codec is selected. A codec library containing many codecs may be maintained in a receiver so that many codecs are available to decode files of different types. Thus, receiver 105 contains codec library 111 that contains various codecs to be used by media player application 107.
In some cases, files are received having file types for which no codec is found in the codec library. Without such a codec, a media player application may be unable to play the media file. In some cases, a receiver may be able to access codecs from another location. For example, as shown in FIG. 1, a codec source 113 outside receiver 105, which is linked to receiver 105 by network 109, may contain an appropriate codec. This codec may be downloaded by receiver 105 to codec library 111. It is then used by media player application 107 to play media file 101. However, in some cases, when a suitable codec is not found in a codec library, no suitable codec is found elsewhere either. This may be because no network connection is available when the media file is to be played, or because a suitable codec is not found at any known codec source, or for some other reason. In such cases, the media player application is unable to play the media file.
Therefore, there is a need for a method of delivering media files that allows media files to be played by different media player applications. There is also a need for a format for such delivery so that media files are playable by different media player applications.